Barrow Regional Medical Center wants the Georgia Supreme Court to review a decision last week by the state court of appeals to allow a new hospital in Braselton.

The Winder-based hospital filed a notice of intent on Monday asking the state’s highest court to consider hearing its case against Northeast Georgia Medical Center’s proposed hospital in Braselton.

If the Georgia Supreme Court agrees to hear the case, it could prolong an already lengthy legal battle between the medical centers over the planned Braselton facility.

Still, Barrow Regional CEO Blake Watts said Tuesday that his organization is weighing its legal options with its attorneys — who include former state attorney Mike Bowers.

“We’re reviewing things right now as to what we’re going to do,” Watts said.

The Georgia Court of Appeals last week overturned a 2008 decision by a Barrow County Superior Court judge that cleared the way for Northeast Georgia to build its 100-bed hospital in Braselton.

That decision reinstated a state-required Certificate of Need (CON) that Northeast Georgia was initially awarded by the Georgia Department of Community Health in 2007 for a proposed South Hall medical campus.

Barrow Regional has contended in court documents that such a facility 11 miles from its Winder hospital would financially harm its operation.

It also claimed that the Georgia Department of Community Health didn’t follow procedures to issue the CON for the Braselton facility.

Barrow Regional has challenged the proposed Braselton hospital since the initial CON application was filed in 2006.

In 2008, Winder HMA — which operates Barrow Regional — filed a lawsuit against Northeast Georgia and the state agency over the proposed Braselton hospital. Barrow County Superior Court Judge Bob Adamson ruled in favor of the Winder hospital in December 2008, but the Georgia Court of Appeals reversed that decision last week.

Northeast Georgia CEO Jim Gardner said last week that the Gainesville-based health system was confident that it would win the legal appeals for the proposed Braselton hospital.

The health system plans to open the hospital at its “River Place at Braselton” campus on Thompson Mill Road in 2014. The first of at least two medical office buildings was opened in 2008.

“We are, of course, disappointed that the leadership of Barrow Regional Medical Center has chosen to further appeal the Department of Community Health’s decision to grant a CON for Northeast Georgia Medical Center to build a new hospital in Braselton,” Gardner said in a statement on Tuesday. “The approval has already been upheld through three appeal processes, and we believe the need for a new hospital is even greater now than when we filed the initial application in 2006.”

Barrow Regional’s Watts said it will continue to focus on providing quality care in its service area.

“I think we just continue to focus on that,” he said. “I think we stand by our original arguments regarding (Northeast Georgia’s) plans as far as constructing a new facility.”

Northeast Georgia’s Gardner said the medical center was named one of the top 100 hospitals in the nation in a study released on Monday by Thomson Reuters, an independent news and business organization.

“We remain committed to building the same level of nationally award winning services at a new hospital at River Place in Braselton,” Gardner said in a statement. “In the meantime, we continue to further develop the wide array of healthcare services currently provided at the Medical Plaza 1, the cornerstone of our future hospital campus. “

Why doesn't Mr Gardner and the NE Ga. corporation just make an offer to buy out the owners of the Winder hospital? I've heard that the current owners don't have the money to improve Winder (which is badly needed), and are hesitant to put more money here (if they have it) because of the Braselton competition. Winder's hospital is very basic and could stand a LOT of improvement in EVERY area! Winder and Braselton would both benefit by having a well run, award winning company in charge.

"What you've heard" is ignorant. They are owned by a company that has put a lot of money into the hospital. They have a new emergency room operation, and will be opening a new women's area soon, I'm told.

They were named one of the top hospitals in the state, from what the sign on the front of the hospitals says.

The entire point of the proposed construction/litigation is that Winder hospital does not want competition. They want a monopoly in what they consider to be "their" territory. Legally, it has nothing to do whether the Winder hospital is "good" or "bad," or has a sign claiming to be "top." Or even the free Starbucks coffee machine. Bottom line is that the local hospital is deathly afraid of competition, and a local judge sided with them. A higher court has overturned his 'homer' decision, and now the new hospital will be built. Deal with it.

I wonder if Judge Bob Adamson would allow himself or any of his family to be admitted to Barrow Hospital?

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